With Townsend’s singles victory, and the doubles win of Great Britain’s Katy Dunne and Christina Makarova (San Diego) over Austria’s Barbara Haas and the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova, the 16-year old Townsend solidified her year-end ITF No. 1 junior ranking, becoming the first American girl to hold that position since Gretchen Rush in 1982.

Only Siniakova, the current world No. 3, could have caught Townsend in the year-end rankings, by winning the singles and doubles titles.

"When I step out onto the court, I really just play tennis," said Townsend, who will turn pro beginning in 2013. "I mean, if I just play well and do what I know I can do, everything else will take care of itself."

"For sure, he’s got a great serve, and normally my game is to hit high and heavy and get the ball above the guy’s shoulders. But when the guy’s 6-5, his shoulders are a little bit higher than the rest of the people I’m playing," Kwiatkowski said. "So, I had to figure out what to do, and I think before the match I had a good strategy with my coach, and I feel like that went pretty well."

"I think this whole tournament I’ve competed really well. My second round, I was down 5-4 and 30-all in the third set, so I was two points from losing. I just think I’ve played really clutch this tournament. I think on big points, before this, I’ve been rushing too much, so I’ve been trying to keep it longer on big points and not rush it," Ouellet-Pizer said. "I can’t believe I’m in the finals. Either way, it’s a win-win, so I’m just going to play with no pressure and just see what happens."

One of Paul’s coaches, meanwhile, is Timothy Neilly, the last American to win the Orange Bowl boys' 18s title, in 2004, who gave his student specific, if simple, advice.